The Digital Skeptic: The Web Guts Bob's Sport & Tackle

Written by: Jonathan Blum12/26/12 - 8:00 AM EST

"If you know what you are doing," Miller says, "or I tell you what to do, it's a lock that you're pulling a big fish out of that lake."

But even armed with this kind of insider intel, there are not enough passionate sportsman like me to support Miller. The average customer simply uses the Web to drive down prices -- and drive Miller out of the game.

"Shoppers would just come in, look at what I sell, scan their cellphones and buy it online. Sometimes right in the store," he said. "I used to get mad about it. But there is no concept of supporting a local retailer."

To protect and serve Keep in mind, Miller is far from ignorant to the dark arts of the Web. He has a website and knows how to score cheap gear at places such as eBay (EBAY) or Cabela's (CAB) .

"But what kind of person would I be if I talk about protecting the local retailer and then I go killing the next little guy?" he said. "And who cares what I have to say. I am not Kevin VanDam , pro bass fisherman. I am just a master baiter."

Miller still hopes to serve the outdoor clientele he loves -- but in uniform. He's deep in the process of becoming a New York City DEP cop. To be eligible, back in the fall, he sold Bob's to his mother, who plans to hire a fellow named Felix to try to keep the place running.

But the macroeconomic bottom-scraping has been done. All the Web efficiency in the world won't make up for losing who knows how many high-margin, local merchants such as Miller that had the touch to do what Google (GOOG) , Facebook (FB) and LinkedIn (LNKD) can't: bake the high margin value of where they are into the products they sell.

Which, by the way, Miller absolutely knows.

"People don't understand the repercussions of not having a place like this around," he said.